Ongoing aggravation for commuters about the declining reliability of the state's M-2, M-4, and M-6 railcars has already begun to tempt monthly commuters to travel by car, he said.

"People are looking for excuses not to take it," Maron said. "If your cost of traveling to New York City increase that much, at some point the marginal rider will decide it is not worth it."

Next week, the state Department of Transportation will start a series of six public hearings on Malloy's plan to impose a 16.4 percent fare hike on Metro-North riders, eliminate Shoreline East weekend service introduced in 2008, and boost CT Transit bus single trip fare from $1.25 to $1.35 while reducing bus service by 10 percent in November.

The only Fairfield County hearing will be held in Stamford from 4 to 6 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., on Aug. 23, at the University of Connecticut Stamford, One University Place, Stamford.

The proposed rail fare increase includes the already approved 1¼ percent fare increase adopted by the General Assembly, the first in a series of six annual hikes through 2018 meant to pay for the state's new M-8 railcars.

Related Stories

Connecticut Rail Commuter Council Chairman Jim Cameron said while concerned about the proposals, he expects them to be averted because he believes the hikes and other spending cuts and revenue hikes proposed by Malloy are a tactical ploy to help force public pressure on state labor unions to approve a package of givebacks and wage concessions meant to help balance the state's two-year $40.1 billion budget.

"It's my expectation that this 15 percent fare increase only came under discussion to balance the budget and will go away," Cameron said. "If it doesn't, we are going to be very aggressive because there is no justification for a fare increase. The service is worse not better."

The proposal would increase what Metro-North New Haven Line riders pay toward the cost of their rides from 68.1 to 74.7 percent, according to the railroad.

More Information

Sound off
The state Department of Transportation has scheduled six public hearings from Monday through Aug. 30 on the governor's proposal to raise Metro-North New Haven Line rail fares by 16.4 percent and to eliminate Shoreline East weekend service and 10 percent of CTTransit bus service, while raising the single-trip bus fare from $1.25 to $1.35.
The six hearings are:
• Monday from noon to 2 p.m. at New Britain City Hall, 27 West Main St., New Britain.
• Aug. 23, from 4 to 6 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. the General Re Auditorium, University of Connecticut, One University Place, Stamford.
• Aug. 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hall of Records, Room G-2, 200 Orange St., New Haven.
• Aug. 25, noon to 2 p.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Hartford Public Library, 500 Main St., Hartford.
• Aug. 26, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Willene's Place, Meriden Senior Center, 22 West Main St., Meriden.
• Aug. 30, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m., at the Silas Bronson Library, 267 Grand St., Waterbury.

Cameron said commuters should make an effort to turn out in force at the hearings if they oppose the 15 percent hike.

He said such a large fare boost is also unjustified given the fact the state missed several deadlines in delivering the new railcars, and failed to meet a pledge to put 10 to 12 of them into service each month.

"With these hearings, there are plenty of opportunities to be heard on your feelings about the quality of service on Metro-North, and what's most important is that the people who will be affected by these changes turn up and speak up," Cameron said. "Don't rely on the other guy to do it."

In addition to raising bus fares, the governor's proposal also includes plans to cut CT Transit bus service by 10 percent to save $4 million, which is about equal to 40 daily bus runs of eight hours each, according to the DOT. The fare increase is the first for bus riders since 2005.

Connecticut Transit General Manager David Lee said the DOT has yet to identify potential routes for elimination.

"I suppose what happens next will depend a great deal on what happens at the public hearings," Lee said. "Some people might suggest making people pay more and preserving some of the service while others might say the additional dime will pose a hardship."

Calls to DOT officials for comment Monday went unreturned.

Gian Carl Casa, an undersecretary for legislative affairs for Malloy, said the state's budget problems have forced the administration to call for the higher fares in order to maintain most service and continue to make much needed improvements to the state's rail and transit infrastructure.

The raise in rail fares is to save the state $14.7 million in the 2011-12 fiscal year, and $22.7 million in 2012-13 fiscal year, Casa said.

Casa said the additional contribution of riders is also justified as Malloy continues to invest in transit improvements, including funding the purchase of the full order of 380 M-8 and an additional $93 million for 25 additional M-8s to add capacity to the railway.

"We're doing this even in today's difficult economic climate because investments in transportation will reap economic growth and make Connecticut a better place to live, " he said.